Insulated panel brace



Aug. 12, W41.

G. LE TOURNEAU INSULATED PANEL BRACE Filed Aug. 23, 1959 INVENTOR.R.G.Le7"ournea u pm A TORNEY Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNH'E'ED STATESPATENT OFHQE INSULATED PANEL BEACH] Robert G. Le Tourneau, Peoria, 111.,assignor to R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc., a corporation of California 2Claims.

1938, on Steel building panel; such brace being insulated against theconduction or transfer of heat therethrough and from wall to wall.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side or edge elevation of the initially separate and flatmetallic strips overlapped at adjacent ends and with the sheet ofinsulating material disposed between said overlapped portions.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the brace as manufactured and readyfor use.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the device.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the device at a point centrallyof its ends.

Referring now more particularly to th characters of reference on thedrawing, the device comprises a pair of metallic strips I which areinitially flat from end to end; adjacent ends 2 of said strips I beingoverlapped a substantial distance, and having a piece or sheet of heatinsulating material 3 interposed between said overlapped portions.

The strips at and adjacent these overlapped portions are of suchconfiguration, and the insulating material is of such size, that theassembly thereof can readily be die formed into the following structure:

The overlapped end portions 2 of the strips l are formed as tubularsections 4 telescoped one within the other and with sheet 3 forming apractically unbroken cylindrical insulating band 5 disposed therebetweenand so that there is no metal to metal contact. Intermediat their endsthe tubular sections 4 and the insulating member are formed withcorresponding annular enlargements E which prevent relative axialseparating movement of the sections 4. The entire assembly, by reason ofthe die forming operation, is a rigid unit of substantial strength. Thestrength of the assembly also is increased by means of tapering sidewalls 6 extending from the back ends of sections 4 to the side edges ofstrips I, and by means of longitudinal depressions l in the strips lforming reinforcing ribs.

In use the insulated braces, constructed as above, extend between thoseparts (such as the inner and outer walls) of a building panel or thelike and which parts it is desired to maintain in insulated relation;the braces being connected at the ends on said parts in any suitablemanner. As the heat insulation band 5 prevents any metal to metalcontact between the cooperating sections 4, thermal conductivity throughthe braces is reduced to a minimum. This is a very advantageous featureas a substantial amount of heat was conducted through previously usedbraces and which obviously was not desirable.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new. and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brace unit comprising a pair of relatively long generally fiatbendable strips adapted to be disposed in alined relation, asubstantially cylindrical hollow head formed on one strip at one endthereof and whose axis extends lengthwise of the strip, said head havingan annular enlargement intermediate its ends, a sleeve symmetric withthe head formed on one end of the other strip lengthwise thereof andbent about the head in surrounding and clearance relation thereto and sothat the strips extend in opposite directions, and a liner of heatinsulating material surrounding the head and filling the space betweenthe head and sleeve.

2. A unit as in claim 1 in which the head and sleeve project entirelyfrom the corresponding side only of the strips whereby to maintain theopposite sides of the strips throughout their ex tent in a substantiallycommon and flat plane.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU.

